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Infielder Abreu gets opportunity to impress

Infielder Abreu gets opportunity to impress

CHICAGO -- Fresh off his award-winning week in the Pacific Coast League, the newest Royals infielder now has another chance to make a mark at the Major League level.

Tony Abreu, a 27-year-old infielder with his third organization, had his contract selected from Triple-A Omaha on Monday to replace Yuniesky Betancourt, who was designated for assignment Sunday.

Abreu hit eighth and started at third base in Monday's series opener against the White Sox. He went 1-for-3 with a double in the Royals' 4-2 loss. He was out at the plate in the eighth inning on a failed safety squeeze bunt.

Abreu, who was named the PCL's Player of the Week on Monday, was hitting .322 with nine home runs, 73 RBIs and 36 doubles in 103 games for the Storm Chasers. He is a career .312 hitter in nine Minor League seasons.

He last played in the Majors in 2010, hitting .233 in 81 games with the D-backs after spending the bulk of his professional career with the Dodgers.

Royals manager Ned Yost said he's received good reports on Abreu and the club wanted to look at Abreu instead of Irving Falu, a similar player who has appeared in 15 games with the Royals this season.

"[Abreu's] swinging the bat very, very well. He can play all three infield positions -- third, short and second -- switch-hitter. Really swing the bat good right-handed," Yost said. "Irving's been up two or three times already, we've got a pretty good idea what we have in him, and now we want to get a better grasp on what we have with Abreu at the big league level. When we move forward next year, we'll have a better idea of what we want to do."